Lift chairs find widespread use in elderly, disabled and/or infirm persons. In reclining chairs a tiltable back and seat are driven between an erect and a reclined position, and a leg or foot rest is driven between a retracted and an extended position. A lift chair is powered between a normal seat position and an elevated forwardly inclined position by an actuator. As partially shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a currently available actuator 1200 has a two-piece housing 1201, a motor 1202 inside a housing part 1201a, a spindle 1204 with a spindle nut, an extendible shaft portion or activation rod 1206, an outer tube 1207 and a rear mounting 1208. Inside the tube 1207, there is an elongated print-board 1248, which has a first signal switch 1249a at a first end and a second signal switch 1249b at an opposite, second end, which are activated by a corresponding spring arm 1250A, 1250B fitted on a seat in connection with one of the first signal switch 1249a and the second signal switch 1249b. When the spindle nut reaches an end position, it will press one of the spring arm 1250A, 1250B against a corresponding one of the first signal switch 1249a and the second signal switch 1249b, which is then activated and via the control stops the motor 1202. The distance between the first signal switch 1249a and the second signal switch 1249b determines a range for the movement of the extendible shaft portion or activation rod 1206, which is corresponding to a range of positions between a normal seat position and an elevated forwardly inclined position and needs to be precisely controllable for better use by, say, an occupant of a lift chair using the actuator. However, because inherent errors built in when the first signal switch 1249a and the second signal switch 1249b in connection with the print-board 1248 are installed, it may be difficult to achieve a desired precise control of the range of positions. Moreover, because the first signal switch 1249a and the second signal switch 1249b in connection with the print-board 1248 are installed inside the tube 1207 with the movable spindle 1204 and the extendible shaft portion or activation rod 1206, additional wirings need to be in place, which are nevertheless subject to the disturbance caused by frequent movements of the movable spindle 1204 and the extendible shaft portion or activation rod 1206 and may be easily damaged. Damaged wiring may cause safety hazard.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.